Tracee de Hahn:Writing What She Knows About Switzerland and Kentucky

RJ: I’m happy to welcome Tracee de Hahn back to MurderBooks, today, where she shares her thoughts on the often-stated, often-debated advice to writers: “Write what you know.”

TD: I tune in to Murder Books to hear from ‘those in the know.’ The men of Murder Books have been there, in the thick of crime and investigation, from a variety of perspectives. When they say that’s how an officer of the law, or an attorney, or a PI would react, I trust them.

This fits with the trope write what you know. That said, it is commonly acknowledged that there are limits to this advice. After all, we hope no author tests the waters of murder in order to create a compelling villain. Write what you know is often modified to write what interests you. Genuine interest brings the author into the space and place of the story.